Google Pixel Buds are a new pair of wireless in-ear headphones designed by Google for the newly minted Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL smart phones.

While they might sound like a rip-off of a product you’ve heard before (cough, Apple AirPods) they could be one of the neatest, smartest wireless headphones ever released.

What are these headphones like to use? Read our hands on: Google Pixel Buds review

They’re smarter because not only do they offer the features you’ve come to expect in wireless earbuds at this point, like direct access to Google Assistant with one tap as well as voice commands, but the Google Pixel Buds will offer real-time 1-to-1 language translation.

During the company’s Pixel 2 event, the Google Pixel Buds were used to hold a conversation between two of the presenters – one speaking in English, the other in Swedish – and the results were played over the speaker for the audience.

Google Translate irl

As you’d expect, questions were translated from the English speaker to Swedish and the responses, which were said in Swedish, were translated back to English.

The process was not only seamless but is was, genuinely, impressive – which could pose real a threat to products like Logbar, Pilot and Bragi’s Dash Pro Babelfish earbuds, especially since the Google Pixel Buds will be compatible with over 40 languages including Italian, French and Japanese, right out of the box.

Like Apple AirPods, the Google Pixel Buds will launch with a charging case that will help to provide 24 hours of uninterrupted playback when fully charged.

The Google Pixel Buds will come in three colors – Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue – all of which match the colors of the new Google Pixel 2, and will be available starting in November in the US for $159.

Shortly after the US release, the Pixel Buds will be made available in the UK for £159 and $249 in Australia, alongside Canada, Germany and Singapore.